Thermal management devices, such as heat sinks, have been used on circuit boards to absorb or dissipate unwanted heat generated by heat generating components, such as processors and chipsets. Developments in computer hardware have resulted in higher processing speeds and increased power requirements for circuit boards. As power requirements for circuit board components increase, larger heat sinks are needed to cool the heat generating components.
Developments in computer hardware have also resulted in space constraints, particularly in modular computer platforms such as Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (AdvancedTCA), Advanced Mezzanine Card (AdvancedMC) and Compact Peripheral Component Interconnect (CompactPCI). Thus, the available volume for components on printed circuit boards in such environments is limited. The space constraints include, for example, height restrictions on the primary and secondary sides of the printed circuit boards as well as limited real estate on and within the circuit boards.
As a result of such developments, coupling heat sinks to the components on circuit boards has presented challenges. The relatively large holes used to mount the heat sink to the circuit board, for example, may interfere with the signal routing within the circuit board. The use of a back plate to secure a heat sink to a circuit board may consume valuable board space and may increase the back side height profile. The use of a back plate on the back side of a circuit board may also negatively impact performance of the component (e.g., by limiting the positioning of decoupling capacitors and traces on the circuit board).
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the claimed subject matter be viewed broadly.